International

UK staffing businesses are looking for stability as well as growth opportunities, which requires a strong economy, which in turn necessitates fair employment regulation in the UK, something that hasn’t yet been delivered.

The recruitment industry in the UK is at a critical juncture as the government opens consultations to address non-compliance issues and regulate umbrella companies.

Uncertainty plagues US economic and business forecasts. Unemployment remains historically low, yet fears of rising interest rates, inflation and even recession remain. The tech industry has seen high-profile layoffs, and while some workers are still looking for jobs, many were quickly scooped up by competitors.

Neurodivergent people are estimated to make up one in seven of the UK population and, when given the opportunity, can bring innovative and fresh thinking to businesses. But many businesses simply aren't properly supporting their neurodiverse workforce.

The first quarter of 2023 has certainly kept the recruitment market on its toes. With strike action continuing across the public sector, the chancellor's first official budget and a "will we, won't we" question around the UK entering a recession (which at the time of writing stood in the latter category), it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride.

It's no secret that the UK is navigating its way through a perfect storm of economic turmoil at a national level, with a cost-of-living crisis and skills shortages that are impacting a variety of sectors.

The contractor market was rocked this month by allegations that several umbrella companies are skimming from the salaries of their workers through unspecified "employment costs." This situation has come about through a combination of bad actors, lack of transparency and badly designed government legislation, but as usual it's agencies who find them

The events of the last month have thrown a range of new hurdles at us all. While we expected the announcement of the new Prime Minister to take center stage for September, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II took the country by surprise. It was, however, the announcements in the Chancellor's Mini Budget that hit the recruitment sector hardest.

Another high-profile public sector organization has fallen afoul of IR35. High Speed 2 (HS2), the public body responsible for developing the UK's high-speed rail network, is anticipating a £9.5m IR35-related tax bill.